Human rights dimension at Vienna CSCE Conference (1986–1989): Canadian and Soviet visions

Abstract

Vienna Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) 1986–1989 was intended to deepen interstate cooperation within the framework of the Helsinki process. It took place under the new conditions associated with the introduction of glasnost policy in the Soviet Union. Despite this, there was some distrust towards the sincerity of the Soviet leadership, which was based on further violations of human rights in the country including the persecution of dissidents. The issue of human rights was, in particular, at the focus of the Canadian delegation, which called the Soviet side to positively solving the family unification, freedom of religion and freedom of thought. Ukrainian Diaspora organizations, such as the Human Rights Commission of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians, played a key role in lobbying for the protection of human rights in the Ukrainian SSR. The real achievement of Ukrainians at the CSCE Vienna Conference was to draw attention to the Ukrainian question in the USSR, accelerating the process of family reunification (only one in 1987 – more than 20 families). At that time, the Soviet government allowed to immigrate to Canada some Ukrainian political prisoners – Joseph Terelia and Danylo Shumuk. The participants of the Vienna review meeting welcomed the favorable development of the international situation and expressed their satisfaction with the fact that the CSCE process contributed to this.